Q&A: Help with BT Hub connecting wireless to PC?
Question by lei: Help with BT Hub connecting wireless to PC?
I’ve been told that I need to connect a wireless adapter to my PC, so that it can be used wireless. I haven’t got a clue about this stuff so could someone tell me what I need to buy and where I could get one. Thanks
Best answer:
Answer by Kenny
go to PC world there you can buy a wireless adapter for around £30.
It is a small USB device similar to a memory stick which comes with a software disk. You leave it plugged in to a USB port and this connects your PC to your BT hub.
easy peasy
What do you think? Answer below!
Your BT Hub is what’s otherwise known as a “wireless router” – it takes the internet connection and broadcasts (‘routes’) it wirelessly within its specified range. In order for your computer to pick up the wireless signal, it will have to have a wireless receiver either built in or in the form of a wireless adaptor (which simply plugs into an available USB port).
The first thing you should do is check and see whether or not the computers that you’re trying to connect wirelessly to the Hub are ‘wireless enabled’ (i.e. have a wireless receiver built in). If you’re looking this up in the manual, you may see this capability listed as “wireless” or “WiFi”, but both mean exactly the same thing in this context.
If any of the computers that you’re trying to connect DO have a wireless receiver built in, then all you need to do is find out how to enable the device and connect to your Hub. The steps for doing this depend on your Operating System (Windows XP, Vista, 7 etc.). Follow the steps at the links listed at the bottom of this answer for detailed instructions on how to connect to your Hub using the Windows Operating System. If the device does physically exist but isn’t working for you, then you should contact your computers’ manufacturer for support or post another question on Yahoo! Answers with details of the problem.
If any of the computers that you’re trying to connect DO NOT have a wireless receiver built in, then you will have to purchase a wireless adaptor (aka. “dongle”) to plug into a empty USB port on the computer you wish to connect wirelessly. Wireless adaptors come in many shapes and sizes, but all you need to know is your Operating System (to make sure that it’s compatible) and that there are two speed standards currently in common use; “G” and “N”. “G” is much more common, but “N” is much faster. The likelihood is that your Hub is using “G”, and most internet connections in the UK aren’t fast enough to warrant N speed! So unless you regularly transfer files in your house through networked computers, you don’t really need to pay the extra amount for an “N” certified adaptor, although it’s more ‘future proof’. You can expect to pay anything between £20 and £30 for a decent wireless adaptor, but there are cheaper options.
Find out which Windows Operating System you have:
Click Start > Right-click on My Computer > Click Properties.
Connect to your Hub using the Windows Operating System:
Windows XP: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/setup/wireless.mspx#4
Windows Vista: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/View-and-connect-to-available-wireless-networks
Windows 7: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/View-and-connect-to-available-wireless-networks
Examples of USB wireless adaptors:
NOTE: “G” wont work with “N”, but most “N” adaptors will work with “G”.
NOTE: An adaptor can use either its own software or Windows to connect.
Example #1 (G): http://www.amazon.co.uk/Netgear-WG111-Wireless-54Mbps-Adapter/dp/B0002LHX8O/
Example #2 (N): http://www.amazon.co.uk/NETGEAR-RangeMax-Wireless-N-Adapter-WN111v2/dp/B002CTQTWA/
Go to the electronics shop Maplins!! They will have everything for this and if you get stuck ask